Accurate detonators in trials boost production, reduce shock

Journal Article · Tue Apr 01 04:00:00 EST 1986 · Coal Age; (United States)

OSTI ID:5786549

Chironis, N P

Highly precise, electric detonators, when used to provide millisecond (MS) delays in sequential blasting in surface mines, have proved able to increase fragmentation of overburden significantly and reduce adverse shock and vibration effects. These electric delay detonators-also called MS delays caps by the trade-replaced the conventional delay detonators. This was the conclusion from tests with the new more-accurate detonators, performed under the guidance of Atlas Powder Co. researchers over a three-year period. During the tests, researchers from Atlas worked with research teams from a number of other organizations, including Vibra-Tech Engineers, U.S. Bureau of Mines, Sandia National Laboratories, Los Alamos National Laboratory and Martin Marietta Laboratories. The test involved 26 production blasts that were monitored by high-speed cameras, seismographs and other sophisticated instrumentation. During all these tests, the sequence and pattern of the blasts, as well as the firing time of delays between holes, were kept identical between those blasts with conventional electric detonators and those using the newer, more accurate detonators. Since the conventional detonators produced more scatter in the exact time that the blasts go off, the tests actually pinpointed the effects of scatter on the efficiency of the shots.

• OSTI ID: 5786549
• Journal Information: Coal Age; (United States), Journal Name: Coal Age; (United States) Vol. 21:4; ISSN COLAA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
012000* -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Mining
45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEFENSE
450100 -- Military Technology
Weaponry
& National Defense-- Chemical Explosions & Explosives
BLAST EFFECTS
CAMERAS
COAL MINES
COMMINUTION
DETONATORS
EFFICIENCY
ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT
EQUIPMENT
EXPLOSIVE FRACTURING
FRACTURING
FRAGMENTATION
LASL
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
MECHANICAL VIBRATIONS
MINES
MINING
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
OVERBURDEN
PERFORMANCE TESTING
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
SANDIA LABORATORIES
SEISMIC ARRAYS
SEISMIC DETECTORS
SEISMOGRAPHS
SURFACE MINING
TESTING
UNDERGROUND FACILITIES
US AEC
US BUREAU OF MINES
US DOE
US DOI
US ERDA
US ORGANIZATIONS